Emily Maitlis 'told off' for swearing on-air during Channel 4 US election coverage by co-host Krishnan Guru-Murthy

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Channel 4’s US election coverage was hit buy controversy overnight after host Emily Maitlis was ‘told off’ by her co-star Krishnan Guru-Murthy for swearing on-air.

The journalist was hosting the overnight coverage of the US presidential election alongside Guru-Murthy as results began to pour in in favour of Donald Trump, marking his return to the White House. The show also feature panellists including Boris Johnson, Brian Cox and George Santos.

Speaking about Trump’s campaign, Maitlis made a blunder on-air, letting a swear word slip. She told the panel: "It's not that they disagree about one thing. The whole thing is asymmetric. When Donald Trump talked about eating cats and dogs. Half of America was thinking, 'This is bats**t. I can't believe what he's saying. This is going to be the end of him'."

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The moment saw Guru-Murthy step in and reprimand the host, saying: "Stop swearing. I have to tell [the guests] off for swearing and then you do it.”

Emily Maitlis was co-hosting Channel 4's US election coverage alongside Krishnan Guru-Murthy.Emily Maitlis was co-hosting Channel 4's US election coverage alongside Krishnan Guru-Murthy.
Emily Maitlis was co-hosting Channel 4's US election coverage alongside Krishnan Guru-Murthy. | Channel 4

Viewers noticed that The News Agents podcast star was off-air moments after the incident, but Maitlis had temporarily left the coverage to fulfil other reporting commitments. During her absence, Guru-Murthy told viewers: “I’ll tell Emily off later because I know she started the swearing. It may be the middle of the night in Britain but they’re still a little bit sensitive about that stuff.”

It comes after Maitlis clashed with Boris Johnson earlier in the evening as the former Prime Minister branded her “sloppy” over her questioning about his relationship with the soon-to-be President Trump. After speaking to Stormy Daniels, whom was at the centre of Trump’s New York hush money trial, Maitlis told Johnson: "...the question for a lot of our viewers tonight will be whether, you essentially started importing some of that Trump like behaviour into Britain when you were Prime Minister.

“His disregard for institutions, his disregard for the rule of law, his denialism, which I think was mirrored in your response to the privileges committee, your response to the Parliamentary standards committee, your proroguing of Parliament, this is all Trump like behaviour."

Johnson, promoting his new memoir, said in reply: "Well there I obviously disagree profoundly as I detail in the book Unleashed.” He then branded the line of questioning as “sloppy” and “dangerous”.

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